9/28/2009 01:38:00 pm -
Reported by
Anthony Weight

The BBC Press Office has released a video preview of the forthcoming new season of children's programme for the autumn and winter. The third series of Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures is one of the productions heavily featured, with several clips from the new run of episodes, which begin on BBC One next month. The drama, starring Elisabeth Sladen as former companion Sarah Jane Smith, will feature a guest appearance from David Tennant in one two-part story. This was the final work Tennant completed as the Tenth Doctor, produced after he had finished his final run of Doctor Who specials.

9/25/2009 12:28:00 am -
Reported by
Marcus

The BBC Trust has launched a review of BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four and the Red Button.

This forms part of the Trust’s regular series of reviews and will be the largest and most significant service review the Trust has undertaken. BBC One and BBC Two are the two most popular services that the BBC operates. It will be the first time that the Trust has looked at these services. BBC One is the parent channel of Doctor Who and its spin-off series Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, and the programme has also frequently made use of the interactive digital Red Button services.

Diane Coyle, BBC Trustee, who is leading the review said:

"The Trust is the BBC’s governing body and we need to ensure these services are meeting audiences’ expectations. This is why we have launched this significant piece of work that will help us understand how well the BBC’s most popular services are operating. These services have a key role in helping the BBC deliver its public service mission. We’ll be looking at how they are performing against their service licences and whether they are offering value for money.

"Our research tells us that audiences want and expect more fresh and new ideas on the BBC television. This review will help us understand how best the BBC can provide distinctive programming that audiences love.

"We now want to encourage viewers to get in touch with us to let us know what they think of these BBC services."

9/24/2009 02:59:00 pm -
Reported by
Marcus

The BBC has confirmed that Series Three of The Sarah Jane Adventures will start on BBC1 at 4.35pm on Thursday 15th October. Part Two will follow on the Friday afternoon.

Investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith, one-time companion to The Doctor, is back for a third series of alien-busting adventures, from creator Russell T Davies, which also features a special appearance from The Doctor himself, David Tennant, who stars in two episodes.

Sarah Jane is accompanied by her adopted son, Luke, his streetwise pal, Clyde Langer, their schoolmate, Rani, who lives opposite and has aspirations to become a journalist like Sarah Jane, and their Xylok super computer in the attic, Mr Smith. Sarah Jane's robot dog, K-9, also joins the gang on their adventures.

In the first of this two-part adventure, Sarah Jane and the gang face the most dangerous day of their lives, as the rhino-like Judoon return. When prisoner Androvax the Destroyer crash-lands on Earth, a Veil is set free and starts to turn Earth's technology against itself. And his next intended victim is Sarah Jane.

The series also features an extraterrestrial girl who can make people play games against their will; a living painting; the inhabitants of a supposedly haunted house; and monsters who want to infect Earth with a strangely aggressive weed. Finally, there is a chance for Sarah Jane to find personal happiness with someone who could be the perfect person to complete her family.

A brand-new website accompanies the third series, complete with a trailer maker, monster hunt, video diaries from the cast, web games and exclusive behind-the-scenes videos.

9/24/2009 11:39:00 am -
Reported by
Marcus

Doctor Who Adventures 134 takes a look at all the mini adventures the Doctor has experienced over the years, from the Attack of the Graske to Time Crash.

The Doctor has travelled to many places on his adventures. This week’s Top 10 is all about the best planets he’s visited, but which will be number one? The countdown includes Gallifrey, the Ood Sphere and Midnight.

Find out how well you know the Weeping Angels in this week’s quiz.

This week’s favourite scene takes us back to the first time Rose steps inside the TARDIS.

9/23/2009 06:47:00 pm -
Reported by
Marcus

Outgoing Doctor David Tennant is to guest host the Absolute Radio breakfast show for a week in November. Tennant will join his friend and regular host Christian O'Connell, who revealed the partnership on his Twitter page: "All done deal - David Tennant will be co-hosting the Absolute Radio Breakfast Show with me for a week in November! And i mean in from 6-10am!" Tony Moorey, Absolute's programme manager, said "It's hard to think of a celebrity more loved by the British public. When you combine that with David's sense of humour and the on-air relationship he's formed with Christian O'Connell in recent interviews, it's clear that these shows will be must-listen makes. Seriously, who wouldn't give Doctor Who a show?" Absolute Radio was was previously called Virgin Radio.

Jonathan Ross will be joined on his BBC Radio 2 show by John Simm on Saturday 26th September. The programme is available on FM in the United Kingdom and on the internet globally.

Doctor Who has won the first British Fantasy Award for Television, announced at FantasyCon on September 19. Rob Shearman, convention guest and writer of the episode Dalek, collected the award on behalf of Russell T. Davies. Paying tribute to the achievement of Russell Davies and Julie Gardner in making the new series so successful, Shearman mentioned that when people had originally heard he was to work on a new series of Doctor Who, some had laughed at the very idea of resurrecting that tired old show.

At the same awards, Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale lost out in the non-fiction category to the autobiography Basil Copper: a Life in Books, but Torchwood novelist Sarah Pinborough won the short story category for "Do You See?"

The final part of the Darksmith Legacy series, The End of Time by Justin Richards, is coming out this week. To celebrate, there is an exclusive Darksmith Collected Party for fans who have collected all 10 books and completed the quests online. All players who complete the final quest will automatically be entered into a free prize draw to win tickets to this event where they can meet the authors, come face to face with some monsters and get an exclusive sneak-preview of things to come.

James Moran has just announced a new web project starring Gareth David-Lloyd and Tracy-Ann Oberman. Girl Number 9 is a dark thriller created exclusively for the internet.

9/22/2009 02:29:00 am -
Reported by
Marcus

This weeks Doctor Who Adventures runs down the top 10 shape-changers, and asks who will come top?

There is a flash back to the 1920s for a monster murder mystery with this week’s story guide: The Unicorn and the Wasp, with a murder investigation, a beastly bug and best-selling author Agatha Christie.

This week’s Doctor Data is Sarah Jane Adventures’ Mr Smith, find out where he came from and how he once helped a shape-changing Slitheen and Doomfinger features in this week’s favourite scene as the magazine looks back to 1599 London and The Shakespeare Code.You can now follow the Doctor Who News Page on

9/20/2009 06:47:00 pm -
Reported by
Anthony Weight

Posters on the Gallifrey Base discussion forum report that it was announced at this weekend's "Regenerations" fan convention in Swansea that the 1971 Third Doctor adventure The Mind of Evil has been restored to colour for a forthcoming DVD release. Like a number of stories starring Jon Pertwee as the Doctor, the colour master videotapes for this six-part story were junked by the BBC in the 1970s. This left only black and white film recording copies of the episodes, made for overseas sale, in the archives. A small handful of colour clips survived on a domestic videotape recording of a transmission of the story in the United States, and were used to restore colour to scenes as a bonus feature at the end of the 1998 VHS release.

No detail has yet emerged of whether the full story has been recolourised for this DVD edition, nor for when the disc is scheduled for release. It is also not currently known whether the episodes were restored to colour using the chroma dot technique employed on the similarly-afflicted third episode of Planet of the Daleks in the forthcoming Dalek War box-set, or whether they were restored from scratch with artificial colour.

Actor Nicholas Courtney, who appears in the story as the Doctor's ally Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, is also reported to have participated in an audio commentary for the release.

9/17/2009 07:12:00 pm -
Reported by
Anthony Weight

The BBC Press Office's release of information regarding programmes on Tuesday the 6th of October contains a small snippet of interest to Doctor Who fans. The BBC's long-running children's magazine programme Blue Peter - which has enjoyed a close relationship with Doctor Who since the 1960s - will be launching "a Doctor Who competition, which will see one lucky viewer design a Tardis console that will feature in the new series."

It is not known in what context this "Tardis console" will be used in Doctor Who, nor when it may appear. Previous Blue Peter competitions have seen young fans design a monster (the Abzorbaloff from Love and Monsters in series two) and appear in the series (Utopia, in series three).

9/16/2009 09:35:00 am -
Reported by
Anthony Weight

The BBC News website has made available a video interview with well-known scriptwriter Richard Curtis, who last week confirmed that he will be writing for the next series of Doctor Who, which is currently in production. In the short interview - conducted by BBC News Entertainment Correspondent Lizo Mzimba - Curtis says that he expects the episode to be shot in November. He also says that the script contains some comic moments, in line with his career as a comedy writer, and that showrunner Steven Moffat required him to rewrite the Eleventh Doctor's dialogue to make it less formal and more colloquial.

Please note that the full interview does contain some very minor spoilers about the episode's setting, so should not be viewed if all details about forthcoming episodes are being avoided.

9/16/2009 02:33:00 am -
Reported by
Marcus

This month's Doctor Who Magazine features the results of their poll to discover which story, in the programme's 46-year history, is the most popular. The magazine is available with four different covers, featuring the Fourth, Fifth, Ninth and Tenth Doctors each in one of their highest-rated stories. The poll also details the most popular series, the highest-rated story for each Doctor and asks which Dalek story is the most admired.

Also in the issue:

Russell T Davies describes the incredible reception David Tennant received when he took to the stage in the USA

There’s a new comic strip adventure, Onomatopoeia, by Dan McDaid with art by Mike Collins.

Find out how to avoid spoilers in You Are Not Alone!

The Watcher asks was the Seventh Doctor as dark and mysterious as his reputation suggests?

Thomas Sangster, star of Human Nature/The Family of Blood talks about his role as Tim Latimer, his Doctor Who audio story and tells of playing Paul McCartney.

9/15/2009 08:02:00 pm -
Reported by
Anthony Weight

Tom Baker, well-known to all Doctor Who fans and many thousands of people worldwide as the Fourth Doctor, has launched an official website. The site is the first official one for Baker, despite the claims of other sites in the past. Among the features present are a list of performances dating back to 1966, photo galleries with rare pictures, videos, and a newsletter.

(Thanks to John Bowman).You can now follow the Doctor Who News Page on

9/15/2009 01:19:00 am -
Reported by
Marcus

Four new Doctor Who and Sarah Jane audio titles are to be released by BBC Audio in the UK on 8th October.

The Day of the Troll is a Doctor Who adventure read by David Tennant. It is the second in a series of audio exclusive stories, following the release of Pest Control in May.

The Dead Shoes is the second in the Hornets' Nest series starring Tom Baker and Richard Franklin. What is so special about a pair of ballet shoes on display in Cromer’s Palace of Curios? When the Doctor meets Ernestina Scott there in 1932, they discover the horrific truth together.

The Shadow People is a Sarah Jane Adventures audio book read by Elisabeth Sladen.

The White Wolf is a Sarah Jane Adventures audio book read by Elisabeth Sladen.

The third part of Hornets' Nest will be released in November, not in October as indicated in a previous press release.

The Circus of Doom is the third in the Hornets' Nest series. In Blandford, 1832, ringmaster Antonio exerts a strange influence on the townsfolk. When the Doctor steps into the ring, he discovers that Antonio has some familiar demons of his own.

9/12/2009 08:04:00 am -
Reported by
Chuck Foster

TV/Movie CD publisher Silva Screen have released details on a new CD covering the music from the two 1960s Aaru films Dr. Who and the Daleks and Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150AD.

The restored soundtracks feature the scores composed by Malcolm Lockyer and Bill McGuffie, with additional sounds from Barry Gray; the CD will also feature contemporary single releases, plus a 20 page booklet covering production notes and memorabilia.

The CD is due for release on 5th October; track details below.

Dr. Who and the Daleks

1. Fanfare And Opening Titles2. TARDIS3. The Petrified Jungle4. The Petrified Creature And The City5. Four Return To TARDIS6. The Medicine Box And The Climb To The City7. City Corridors8. Captured By The Daleks9. Susan Leaves The City10. The Jungle At Night11. Susan Returns To The City12. Escape From The Cell13. The Trap14. The Swamp15. The Mountain16. The Cave17. The Jump18. The Thals Approach The City19. The Countdown20. The Countdown Stops21. Finale And End Titles

9/10/2009 07:33:00 pm -
Reported by
Marcus

The actor Iain Cuthbertson has died at the age of 79.

Cuthbertson appeared in the 1978 Fourth Doctor story The Ribos Operation, where he played Garron, a con man attempting to sell the entire planet of Ribos to the Graff Vynda-K, deposed ruler of Levithia.

He appeared in many roles on British television throughout the sixties and seventies, with his most memorable role that of the criminal and businessman Charlie Endell in Budgie, appearing alongside Adam Faith. He suffered a crippling stroke in January 1982, which forced him to give up theatre for fear of forgetting his lines. His first role following his stroke was as Scunner Campbell in SuperGran in 1985.

Cuthbertson's first marriage, to the actress Anne Kristen, was dissolved in 1988. His second wife was Janet Mary Smith. There were no children. He was born on January 4, 1930 and died on September 4, 2009.

9/09/2009 01:50:00 am -
Reported by
Marcus

Barrett appeared in the 1965 William Hartnell story The Rescue, playing the roles of both Bennett and Koquillion. The story was released on DVD earlier this year.

Ray Barrett was a popular leading men on British television in the 1960s, appearing in such programmes as Emergency - Ward 10 and The Troubleshooters as well as providing some of the voices in the popular series Thunderbirds.

In later years, Barrett returned to his native Australia where he made a string of television appearances in series such as Something In The Air, All Saints and White Collar Blue.

9/08/2009 12:41:00 pm -
Reported by
Marcus

Richard Curtis, the man behind some of the most successful British films and comedies, has agreed to write an episode of Doctor Who.

Speaking to the British Tabloid The Sun, Curtis said he has been asked to write for Matt Smith’s first series.

He told the paper he couldn’t reveal much about the plot. but it would feature a famous historical character battling against a monster.

Curtis was the brains behind Four Weddings and a Funeral, which became the highest-grossing British film in cinema history at the time and for which he was Oscar nominated. On television, he has been responsible for the Blackadder series as well as The Vicar of Dibley. He is a BAFTA and Primetime Emmy winner.

BBC News has confirmed, via Curtis's agent, that the writer is working on a script for Doctor Who.

9/07/2009 07:07:00 pm -
Reported by
Marcus

Doctor Who and Torchwood are both nominated as Best Drama while David Tennant, John Barrowman and Eve Myles are all nominated for Best Drama Performance.

Doctor Who has always performed well in the awards, which are voted on by the general public. The series has won the Best Drama award for the past four years, with the lead actors taking the best Drama performance.

9/05/2009 03:49:00 pm -
Reported by
Marcus

Incoming Executive Producer, Steven Moffat, is to take part in a discussion on Sherlock Holmes as part of this year's BBC Proms Literary Festival.

Moffat, who together with Mark Gatiss is co-creator and Executive Producer of the BBC's new modern-day Sherlock, is joined by A. N. Wilson, author of The Victorians. They talk to Matthew Sweet about the enduring appeal of Sherlock Holmes and his special love of Mendelssohn.

The event takes place on Monday 7 September at 5.45pm at the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall of the Royal College of Music. It is free to anyone who turns up, although capacity is limited, and it will be turned into a radio programme for broadcast Monday night on BBC Radio 3. David Warner will be giving some readings from Conan Doyle, and there'll be a Q and A at the end.

David Tennant takes over as the host of the PBS series MASTERPIECE Contemporary on October 25, 2009. As host, he introduces the programme at the beginning of each episode and provides commentary throughout. The season starts with the U.S. Premiere of Endgame, a feature length film depicting the secret talks that ended apartheid in South Africa starring William Hurt, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Jonny Lee Miller.

The website whoviannet has launched a project to create a scrapbook to present to David Tennant at Christmas, to thank him for all his hard work, commitment and dedication to the show over the past four years. They are asking for contributions from Tennant's fans. Details on their website.

9/04/2009 01:24:00 pm -
Reported by
Marcus

According to unofficial overnight figures, the final installment of Doctor Who’s Greatest Moments was watched by 340,000 viewers. The programme share was 1.7% and it was the fourteenth most-watched programme of the day on multi-channel television.

9/01/2009 12:12:00 am -
Reported by
Marcus

The BBC has confirmed that Series Three of The Sarah Jane Adventures will premiere in the UK during October. The exact start date is unknown but sources indicate that Thursday 15th is the most likely day.

The information came in promotional literature issued by CBBC on Saturday.

Sarah Jane and her gang, Clyde, Luke and Rani, are back on TV this autumn for brand new escapades. They'll be battling Judoon, Slitheen and Blathereen non-stop in what's set to be endless action and adventure. And watch out for a very special guest star this series!